Angel Wings
by seriousobsession
Summary: When Angel was kidnapped, the flock never rescued her. After she escapes she stumbles upon a small town with too many secrets. With a new name and new friends, can Bella overcome the memories of her past and the dangers of her future?
1. My Own Personal Hell

**AN: Trying something new:]**

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**Prologue:  
_My Own Personal Hell_**

Wake up… Come on, you can do it… Just open your eyes…

.

_My eyes _were_ open. I was looking at the clearest blue sky any of us had seen in ages. Not a cloud was in sight, which was unusual for this time of year. Well, that was what the weatherman had said anyway. The sun seemed to be peeking over the trees, teasing us with shining rays that broke through the gaps in the leaves. _

_I glanced in front of me to see the large expanse of forests that seemed to extend on forever. No buildings or houses in sight. Just the green paradise, overflowing with tons of wild animals. As I watched, a deer skipped out from the cover of the trees, sniffing around for a minute before darting back in. In the distance I could see a flock of birds burst from the trees and fly off beyond my range of vision. It was perfect, the most perfect scene you could ever imagine. _

_I tore my eyes away from the gorgeous view to look up at the person holding my hand. She was smiling down at me, looking more beautiful than I think she ever had. The slight breeze caused her hair to stir slightly. Her eyes sparkled with happiness and I couldn't help but to grin hugely at her, probably looking very foolish. She just laughed and pulled me forward, toward the trees. Four sets of footsteps followed us and I glanced back to see the rest of my family, chatting together and looking so at ease that I felt my heart lift a little in happiness._

_.  
_

The image stopped in my head, freezing, like it was taking a mental picture before it vanished. More images replaced it, switching on and off like a broken video filmstrip, moving so quickly that I could hardly distinguish them from one another.

.

_We were walking through the trees, baskets in hand, talking and joking with each other. The sun filtered through, giving just enough light to see where were going but not so much that we felt exposed. It was like being able to see everything but nothing could see you._

_.  
_

Come on. Wake up.

.

_The forest suddenly opened up into a clearing. It was completely cut off from everything. Trees lined the outside, creating a sort of wall between us and the outside world. Patches of flowers were scattered among the high grass that came almost up to my knees._

_I squealed with glee as I spotted the reason we had come here today. I sprinted toward the far side of the clearing and crouched down so that I was eye level with the bushes. _Strawberries,_ I thought happily. _

_.  
_

Please… Please, wake up. Please…

.

_I turned around to smile happily at my family, but before I could I saw something that wiped the smile completely off my face. I became aware of a loud noise that echoed around the forest, causing animals to scatter and birds to chirp unhappily. I realized a second later that the noise was coming out of my mouth. I couldn't find it in me to care, however. My eyes were fixated behind my family, above the trees. Multiple figures were becoming larger and darker against the sky, tearing away the beauty it had held for me only a little while ago._

_They were moving fast, way too fast. And there were too many too count. The only thing I had enough time to do before they were right on us was to scream a warning. "Look out!"_

_.  
_

Please…

.

_My arms and legs hurt. Pain shot through my body every time I moved, but I had to keep fighting. We couldn't lose. Our freedom, but more importantly, our lives, depended on it._

_Something connected with the back of my head. I wasn't sure what it was, but it caused my vision to blur and my eyes to water. I reached back in a daze to feel my head. The warm stickiness that my hand was greeted with only made me dizzy. I looked around in a haze for a second, unable to comprehend what was going on. Before I could do anything to stop it, I was picked up roughly and shoved into a black sack about the size of a garbage bag._

_I couldn't see anything. It was pitch black all around me. I felt someone's foot connect with my head in the same exact spot. I gasped in pain before quickly falling unconscious._

_.  
_

"No!"

I bolted up only to bang my forehead on something. I groaned as I rubbed the sore spot. It would probably end up bruising and be a little achy for a few days. Great, I thought sarcastically, yet another thing to add to my ever growing list of problems.

I scooted over as much as I could in the confined space. Glancing out through the bars on my cage, I looked to see if I had woken anyone up with my outburst. It looked clear enough, so I settled myself back down, leaning against the back wall of my cage and closing my eyes. I didn't bother wiping the tears off my face. No one was there to see them anyway.

I hated having that dream. It used to be every night. But it had stopped its pattern and decided that it would just pop up whenever it felt like it.

I had been six when that had happened. Well, somewhere around six. None of us were really sure how old we were. No one had found that fact important enough to tell us.

I was now almost fourteen. Seven years. That's how long it's been. Seven years since I last saw my family. Seven years since I had any semblance of a normal life. I tried not to think about that too much, it would only worsen my already darkened mood.

When they had first brought me in, I hadn't been prepared for what would happen. I was only two when we had escaped from them the first time. I couldn't really remember what had gone on up until that point. Now that I know, I am sort of glad that the rest of my family was kind enough not to remind me of the horrors we went through. The horrors I was currently going through. I shivered just thinking about it. I shifted around again, trying in vain to find a spot less uncomfortable.

I gave up and simply stared at the floor of my small cage, wishing I could go back to the place I had dreamed of.

I could wish as much as I liked, but I knew that it was impossible. There was no way I could escape. I had tried throughout the years, but nothing had worked. Nothing. Not one thing. I hadn't even come close. I wasn't even sure how long it had been since I had seen the sun other than in a picture. I had to face facts.

I was stuck here, and I had no way of getting out.

My own personal hell.

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**AN: What do you think?**


	2. Reality and Decisions

**AN: not much to say really... just enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1:  
_Reality and Decisions_**

The wind had picked up in the last few hours, effectively lowering the temperature by a few degrees and chilling me to the bone. I pulled the thin cat tighter around my body as a shiver passed through me, leaving goose bumps in its wake. I trudged along the deserted road, tired and worn out, but still in a rather pleasant mood.

Yes, it was cold. Yes, I had absolutely no idea where I was or where I was going. Yes, I felt like I could fall asleep at any second. But… freedom had its perks. _I _had chosen the direction to walk in. _I _had chosen to walk down this road. _I _had chosen to keep walking until I couldn't anymore. No scientist could tell me what to do. I was no longer at their mercy. I was… free.

The corners of my mouth rose up slightly, in a sort of half grin. I could still see their faces that day. I wasn't sure how long ago it had been. Keeping track of the days wasn't really at the top of my priority list.

I tried to bring my focus back to the situation at hand. I couldn't just keep walking down this road. It was completely empty. I hadn't seen any cars in quite a while. I also had no clue as to where it was headed. With a sigh, I sat down to contemplate my options. I hated sitting still in a completely open and vulnerable area. I knew I was being searched for, and I didn't like not moving. However, it seemed important that I figure out where I was. I couldn't very well hide without knowing where the hell I was now could I?

My inner argument was interrupted by the sound of tires on pavement. I smiled as I stood up, moving to the side of the road. I could see a semi-truck in the distance. My sensitive ears had picked up on the noise and I would have to wait a few minutes before it was close enough for me to catch the driver's attention.

I couldn't keep that stupid grin off my face as I waved him down. The passenger door opened and I hopped inside, glad for the change in temperature. He heaters in the truck had created an oven-like atmosphere and I couldn't help the moan that escaped from my lips. I shut the door and the truck was moving again.

I turned to face my savior. "Thank you so much," I said happily.

My eyes were met with an amused looking man. His gray beard and moustache completely obscured his mouth but I could tell that he was smiling. His eyes were a soft green color, and they sparkled behind the glasses he was wearing. He was a little on the chubby side but not so big that he filled his seat completely. "Where are you headed?" he asked.

I thought about that for a moment, looking out the window. _Where was I headed? _I asked myself. The trees passed by moving so fast that to a normal human, it would be nothing more than a green blur.

My main goal for the few months before I had escaped had been just that. To escape. I hadn't really given much thought to what I would do after I achieved that.

"Where are _you_ headed?" I asked him, hoping to get some idea of where we are.

He looked at me, confused, before speaking. "A little town just outside Seattle. It's called Port Angeles."

"Hmmm…" I hadn't heard of it. I knew Seattle was literally at the tip of the northwestern United States, if you didn't count Alaska. I had no desire to live in a big city. It would be nice to get away from everything for a while. I decided small town life would be the life for me until I figured out what I wanted to do.

"Are there any towns close to where you are going? You know, the small ones no one really bothers going to unless you have a relative there?" I asked the man.

He looked at me for a minute frowning. His eyes roamed over me but not in that creepy way. It just looked like he was trying to figure me out. "Are you sure you should be out here alone?" he asked, probably taking into account that I was a young girl, fifteen or sixteen maybe, that he just picked up in the middle of nowhere. To him I probably looked pretty suspicious.

I was though, now that I thought about it. I couldn't say that I wasn't a runaway, because technically I was. I couldn't say that I wasn't a fugitive, because there were people looking for me. I couldn't say that I had a plan, because I didn't. I was completely and hopelessly lost and alone. So, I told the driver the only thing I could.

"I just want to start over," I whispered quietly. My head fell into my hands, as I thought about how true that statement was. I knew I couldn't go back to how it was before all of this happened. That was not a possibility.

I couldn't go back to the family I once had because I had no idea where to find them. They wouldn't be at the safe house anymore. My abduction would have made it, well, not _safe_ anymore. I had no way of tracking them down seeing as we had never had any papers like birth certificates or social security cards.

I knew Max well enough to know that she would not stay in one place for any extended period of time. The only hope I had of finding them would be for them to find me. But, they wouldn't be looking for me. They were under the impression that I was either still in _that place_ or dead.

My happy mood from earlier had suddenly evaporated as I faced the truth. I was a fifteen, nearly sixteen, year old girl who was all alone. No family. No friends. No anything, except for the clothes on my back. I didn't even have any food. My stomach grumbled mockingly.

"Forks."

I glanced up. It had been silent for the past few minutes after I had spoken. It appeared that the man had been thinking and had come to a decision.

"Forks?" I asked, confused as to why he would bring eating utensils into the conversation.

"Yeah. It's this little town about an hour outside Port Angeles." He had this thoughtful look on his face for a minute before continuing. "I know this guy there. Charlie. He's the police chief." He looked back at me. "You can stay with him while you sort things out. Don't worry! He won't turn you in or anything," he said quickly, probably taking in my reaction at the word police. "Charlie's a good guy. Pretty quiet and doesn't ask many questions," he assured me.

I thought about it. It would be nice to have a roof over my head. And this guy seemed genuine enough. Maybe I would like this Charlie guy he was talking about. "You don't think he would mind?" I asked.

He smiled down at me. "Not at all. Like I said, he's a god guy." He seemed to think about something for a minute before reaching back into the seat behind him and pulling out a bag. He tossed it to me and it landed in my lap with a soft thump.

I pulled the string to open it and found that it was full of clothes. "I have a daughter who's a little older than you," he said. "Those don't fit her anymore and I was bringing them to a friend here. I figured you could use them more though." He took his eyes off the road for a second to give me a knowing smile.

I couldn't help the silent tear that escaped my eye. I tried to wipe it away before he could see but I think he knew anyway. "Thank you," I whispered again.

He continued driving in silence for a while. I'm not sure but I think I fell asleep at one point. I awoke to him asking me if I was hungry for anything. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out a bag of chips. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. Needless to say, I devoured them.

I apologized over and over again for eating his food but he only laughed and said I needed it more than him. He told me that we were now only a few hours away and whether I wanted to go and stay with the man he had mentioned earlier or not.

I figured that I had nothing to lose and if it didn't work out I could always leave. I had a feeling that this arrangement would be perfect though and decided to go through with it.

I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement course through me as I headed into the unknown. It wasn't exactly the best option, to go somewhere completely out of my comfort zone, with no idea of what was to come. But seriously, who would come looking for me in a backwater town up in Washington?

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**AN: don't know how long for the next update. just keep your eyes open:] questions? comments?**


	3. Meeting Charlie

**AN: I know. I've been horrible about this updating thing. I don't really have any excuses except the usual. School, life, etc. But I did get it out... eventually. You can flame me if you wish.**

******I love the comments I've been getting though. It's really weird to know that some people actually enjoy what I write. I got a question about Angel/Bella's power. It's answered in this chapter :] I think I might have gotten one or two more but that's the only one I remember, so if you do have any questions, comments, etc. feel free to tell me.**

******Enough of my rambling though. Enjoy chapter two!

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**

**Chapter 2:  
**_**Meeting Charlie**_

As we passed the "_You Are Now Entering Forks" _sign_, _my nervousness skyrocketed and I felt myself on the verge of having an anxiety attack. My emotions seemed to be going haywire these last few days. I guess shutting them out for all those years wasn't exactly the best idea. They were all blowing up in my face now.

I couldn't stop fidgeting the closer we got. My fingers were tapping against the middle console of the truck. I kept my eyes glued to the window. There wasn't much to see really except the trees. I found that I didn't really care all that much. Years of seeing only white rooms, white walls, and white lab coats kind of made me appreciate colors in general much more now. The green was a nice change anyway.

A warm hand encased my fingers suddenly, bringing to a halt their incessant tapping. My head whipped around and I was met with the amused face of the driver. "It's going to be alright, sweetheart. I promise," he assured me. I only managed a small smile before turning my attention back to the scenery. This time I wasn't really seeing it though. My mind had started to wander. To one thing in particular. The thing it had always wandered to whenever I found myself with nothing to do. Well, I guess it was _things_ actually. People more specifically.

My family. I honestly didn't know what to feel toward them.

Happiness? Joy? They hadn't been captured and were probably just fine. Well, fine enough anyway.

Anger? Resentment? Why hadn't they rescued me? Didn't they even try? Didn't they love me?

Confusion was the emotion that usually accompanied these thoughts. I just didn't know what had happened to them. I hoped that they were safe. I hoped that they had been able to get away easily and were now hiding. However, the simple facts were that I didn't know where they were and if I would ever see them again. I had been holding out that hope of finding them, but it was dimming.

I was brought back to the present by the sound of the brakes screeching. We weren't stopping suddenly or anything, the brakes just really needed to be oiled.

"We're here." I tensed up. "Don't be so nervous. You'll love him and vice versa," the truck driver assured me. I glanced over to see him smiling at me slightly, probably in amusement. He looked at me for another second, taking in my expression, before shaking his head and exiting the truck. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Unbuckling my seat slowly, I let my mind wander back to my situation at hand.

For some reason, every argument that this was a bad idea popped into my head (note the sarcasm). I pushed down those thoughts and slid out of my seat onto the pavement. The frigid air hit me the second I shut the door. After being in front of the warm heaters for so long, the freezing air felt like pinpricks on my face. I pulled my jacket closer around my neck.

I hoisted the bag of clothes over my shoulder, still not able to comprehend how nice some people could be. But with the people I had been surrounded by all my life, I did have a bit of an excuse.

I started walking up to the door of the modest two-story house we had parked in front of. The white paint on the side of it was peeling a little and the front yard seemed to have more weeds than actual grass but, for the most part, it was very homey looking. I glanced over toward the driveway. The sight of the blue and white police car brought back the little voice in my head that kept telling me how bad of an idea this was. I tried ignoring it for the time being.

I stopped at the foot of the stairs.

_Come on, Bella. One foot in front of the other,_ I told myself. I looked up to see the encouraging face of the truck driver. I couldn't see anything evil or calculating in that look. It seemed to be pure luck that I had come across such a kind person, something I wasn't used to. The luck and the kindness.

Something happened then, nothing on the outside. I was still standing there, gazing at the man who had done more for me than he could ever think. No, something happened inside my head. A shift. It was like my eyes had opened up to a new perspective, like I was seeing something for the first time. Seeing something in a picture that I had failed to notice before.

Maybe this was all a sham. Maybe this would turn out to be some horrible game or trick, set up by the people I had escaped from. Maybe I was dooming myself to a life of some never-ending game of hide and seek. An eternal maze of analyzing and testing. Maybe this was all an elaborate hoax, designed to test me in some new way. A kind of science project for the white coats.

Maybe it was.

But maybe, just maybe, it wasn't.

This man in front of me was kind, through and through. The thoughts running through his head held no ulterior motive. And yes, I do mean _thoughts_. But that's a whole other story…

Back to my new revelation.

Maybe this wasn't some kind of trick. Maybe this would all work out. Maybe I would finally get to start over.

I couldn't believe I was thinking this… but maybe I could be…

Free.

That was when the front door opened.

*

*

*

A few hours later I found myself laying down in a very comfortable bed, staring at the ceiling, attempting to fall asleep. My attempts were useless. The internal voice inside my head would not shut up. My mind was racing.

After Charlie had invited us in, I stood around awkwardly while the truck driver explained my predicament. Well, all that he was aware of anyway.

He seemed more confident in Charlie than I had been. Turns out he was right. Charlie agreed to let me stay with him as long as I needed to, no questions asked. He actually seemed really excited about it. From what I could tell he was divorced and childless. I'm guessing that his wife left _him _judging by the wedding picture still hanging in the living room, but I wasn't going to pry.

He agreed to let me use the guest room and said that I could use anything in the house. I couldn't have asked for any more really.

Before the truck driver left, he hugged me warmly before pushing something into my hand. I looked down to see a wad of cash. I was about to protest but he shook his head, claiming that he had no use for it anyway. I tried giving it back anyway but he refused to accept it. I looked at him for a little longer before giving up and just hugging him tightly, whispering thank you quietly in his ear. He smiled at me before walking through the front door, closing it behind him.

The next few hours were devoted to fixing up _my _room. It was still weird calling something that.

Oddly enough, I felt fairly comfortable with Charlie. Neither of us talked much and we didn't feel the need to fill the silence with stupid conversation.

We moved an old mattress down from the attic into the room and put it in the empty bed frame. It smelled a little dusty but I didn't detect any hints of mold. He grabbed some blue sheets from the closet while I hung the clothes up in the closet. I was pleased to see the variety I had been given. _I may have to make a few variations to the tighter shirts,_ I thought to myself.

Things might get a little… _feathery._

A small smile escaped.

After we were done the finished result looked very nice. He told me that he was going into Port Angeles on Saturday and asked me if I wanted tog o with him. I agreed thinking that I could get a few more clothes and maybe even a few books. I could only see one or two on the shelf near the window in my room.

After a quick meal of heated up TV dinners we both headed upstairs to get some sleep.

But that didn't seem to be working so well. I couldn't shut my eyes. But for once, it wasn't because I was terrified of what I might wake up to. It was because I just couldn't believe that things were actually working out for the first time in a long time.

I might wake up tired tomorrow, but I couldn't find it myself to care.

At the moment, everything seemed to be working out just fine. I still had my doubts of course, but right now I was focusing on the good.

And from my viewpoint, the good… looked pretty damn _good_.

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**AN: A little cursing there at the end. Hope you don't mind. It just seemed to fit right. Reviews are a great early Christmas present :] **


	4. Settling In

**AN: To make up for my horrible updates, I decided to make this chapter longer than I usually do. I thought about splitting it up, but I couldn't find the right place to do it. I still love all the reviews I get:] Most of the questions should be cleared up in this chapter. And if they aren't, it would probably be too much of a spoiler to tell you. **

**With that said, Enjoy!  
**

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**Chapter 3:  
**_**Settling In**_

_It was dark, sometime in the very early hours of the morning if I was correct. There was no trace of light except for the crescent shaped moon in the sky that was giving the atmosphere an eerie glow, making the landscape around me have an almost bluish tint._

_The ground was a dusty brown color, covered with loose rocks and sticks. The area was barren except for a few dead-looking trees that were scattered across the huge expanse of open land. A faint outline of mountains off in the distance was visible directly in front of me._

_The air was still, only disturbed by the rhythmic sounds of my nearly silent footsteps as I ran. My body ached and my feet were starting to bleed but I kept on running. I knew what the consequences were if I stopped._

_*_

_*_

_*_

_I wasn't sure how long I had been running but the mountains that had been far off were much closer now. A few rays of light were peeking over the tops, indicating that the sun was soon to rise._

_I could hear the footsteps behind me. They were getting closer. I willed my feet to go faster, but my body was tired. It was giving up on me. I pushed as hard as I could. All I had to do was make it to the mountains, and then I would be safe. That's what I kept telling myself._

_I risked a glance behind me. Three figures. And they were closer than I thought. "Shit," I muttered, focusing my attention back on racing toward the mountains. I would never make it there before they caught up to me._

_A new plan was forming in my head. I could use the sun to my advantage. It would only give me a few seconds to get the upper hand, but there were only three of them. I could take them out before they knew what hit them. With that confidence, I slowed down my pace considerably before stopping all together. I turned to face my pursuers as they continued toward me._

_"Giving up?" the one on the right questioned. They stopped about thirty feet in front me, forming a line. I turned toward him, lifting one side of my mouth up in a mocking kind of smile._

_"Thought I'd rest for a bit," I answered him sweetly, even going as far as to stretch out my arms above my head._

_"Let's end this, shall we?" My eyes moved over to the leader standing in the middle. His body was lean but neither tall nor short. He was fairly average looking, which was unusual for his kind. With his short-cropped hair, he could have passed for any ordinary man in my opinion. All of that, however, was cancelled out by his eyes. The dark black orbs stood out, and even from this distance, I could see the malicious amusement that was radiating from them._

_That only made me want to face him even more. My smile slowly morphed into a smirk as I answered him in the same tone I had used with his companion. "Oh yes we shall."_

_The three of them crouched into fighting stances, now appearing more animalistic than human._

_"Bring it!" I taunted them. All I received in return was a series of growls and hisses. I simply laughed, making them angrier, I'm sure. Just a few more seconds, I thought._

_3…_

_2…_

_1…_

_The sun rose above the mountains behind me right on cue. My opponents raised their arms to block the sun from their extra-sensitive eyes, letting their guard down slightly. That's when I made my move._

**BEEP! BEEP!**

My eyes shot open. I sat up quickly, looking around wildly, before realizing where I was. I let out a sigh before turning toward my new alarm clock. I shut it off, ridding the room of the offending noise.

I flopped back down onto my stomach, assuming the position I had been in before I was jolted awake. My face was buried in the pillow, making it slightly harder to breathe, but I didn't feel like moving just yet.

I had been living with Charlie for about a week now. We had come to an arrangement of sorts.

I would be attending the local high school.

It would be putting it lightly to say that I freaked out just a little at first.

I still wasn't completely okay with it, but we had worked out all the details together these past few days, and it seemed like the only logical thing to do.

I had told Charlie the bare minimum of my past. I told him that I could technically be classified as a 'runaway', but I assured him that it wasn't my parents or any other guardian that I was running away from. I mentioned that I didn't have any clue as to who my parents were anyway, leaving out the part about probably not having any real parents at all. Unless you counted two test tubes of course.

I told him that I was being looked for though. I told him that he might be putting himself in danger by taking me in. I even offered to leave.

He told me to not even think about it. I think he had a thing for helping out those who needed it. Must be a cop thing. Or maybe people did this on a regular basis. Or maybe my view of people in general is distorted. I don't know, nor do I really care at the moment. Anyway, back to our conversations.

We worked out a story to help explain my sudden appearance in his household. It was kind of entertaining, creating my own made up back-story.

I was going to be Charlie's niece, the daughter of his older brother who had moved away a long time ago. Charlie actually did have an older brother, so there was some truth to this. He said that he hadn't heard from him since he moved. There was no chance of him showing up and contradicting us. We were going to say that my mom and dad wanted to move out of the country, but that I was adamant about staying. I wanted to finish out my high school education in the states. Enter Charlie, who offers a place at his house.

There were a few flaws in our plan, the main one being the absence of any types of documents proving that I exist. Birth certificates and social security cards were not a high priority in the hellhole that I had lived in. I had only figured out my first name by accident. I wasn't even sure if it really was my name or not, but I had been using it for years so I wasn't about to change it. I also had no transfer papers, indicating what school I had previously attended.

I had never attended any type of school before in my life, so that that last one was pretty ironic. Not to mention the word _school_ itself. I nearly laughed.

Charlie said not to worry about any it, that he would have a talk with the principal. I wasn't going to question how much influence he had over these people so I just went along with it.

My name was now_ Isabella Swan_. It had a nice ring to it.

So with my story set, it really looked like I was staying here.

Charlie had made it loud and clear that I was welcome here, wings and all.

Yes, I did say _wings_. It just so happens that I took the word freak to a whole different level.

Charlie took it surprisingly well. He had walked into my room as I had been cutting slits in the back of all my shirts with a pocketknife. The confused look on his face actually made me giggle a little before I composed myself.

I figured showing would be better than explaining so I pulled off the jacket I had been wearing and unfurled the fluffy white things. His expression this time was even better than the first one.

"Easy access," I said, smiling. "And it's more comfortable this way."

It took him a few minutes before he was able to wipe the shocked look off his face. He held up one finger, mumbling for me to wait a minute. He walked out of my room only to return a few minutes later, a pair of scissors in hand.

He handed them to me silently before turning around and heading back out my door. He turned when he reached the doorway, answering my unasked question about the scissors. "So you don't injure yourself," he said simply, "Knifes aren't exactly ideal for cutting fabric." With a small smile, he closed my door.

I was really starting to like him.

I decided that I probably needed to get up. Today was my first day after all.

That thought alone had me wide-awake.

I reached my arms above my head, grabbing on to the headboard, and stretched. A few pops echoed around the room. I sat up again, rubbing my eyes and pushing my hair out of my face.

I swung my legs off the bed and my feet came into contact with the cold hardwood floor. It creaked slightly as I stood up and made my way across my room. I continued through my door and along the hallway until I came to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me but didn't bother locking it. I knew Charlie wasn't home. He had informed me last night that he had to leave early this morning. He apologized and wished me good luck.

I didn't mind really. It actually gave me more time to prepare for this by myself. Not that I didn't enjoy his company, but it was nice not to have to make an effort to keep someone else's thoughts out of my head. I could do it easily, and it didn't really even use up much of my energy, but it was nice not to have to keep it up constantly.

I turned the tap on in the tub and undressed while the water was heating up. After it had heated up considerably, I stepped under the spray. _I don't think I'll ever get tired of this_, I thought sleepily.

The first shower I had taken here was the best cleaning I had gotten in around nine or ten years. A quick spray with freezing water from a hosepipe every couple of months had nothing on this. I probably just stood there, letting the water pour down my body, for nearly half an hour before I even began washing.

Five days later and it is still just as enjoyable as the first one.

When I was done, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked down the hall back to my room. I was now faced with a problem that every normal teenage girl faces. I was a far cry from a normal and teenage was only an educated guess on my part. But I am a girl. Maybe not entirely a_ human_ girl, but a girl nonetheless. And I guess the female in me caused me to become quite anxious about the matter at hand.

_What the hell am I going to wear?!_

I spent ten whole minutes standing in front of my closet, staring dumbly at the clothes hanging there. Eventually I decided on a plain white v-neck shirt and a pair of dark jeans. I threw on my newly acquired black Converse and towel dried my hair. I brushed it thoroughly and decided to leave it down. I had no make-up and had no desire to purchase any in the near future. Too much of a hassle in my opinion.

I felt like I was missing something. I turned to face the large mirror situated in top of my dresser. My eyes met my own reflected ones in the mirror, eyes that matched the dark chocolate brown of my hair. I thought that I was fairly plain looking. With the generic brown eyes and brown hair, I guessed that I would look like any other girl. The pale skin was just the icing on the cake. Add in the fact that I was barely 5'5, with shoes on, and had a thin frame and I could practically fade into the background without even being noticed.

This was all bull of course. I stuck out like a sore thumb, always would, being the freak that I am._ It does have its perks though_, I thought as I realized what I was missing. My wings were folded tightly against my back. I had threaded them through the holes in my shirt and they were now on display for the world to see.

I grabbed a black zip-up jacket from a nearby chair and put it on. My wings were folded against my back perfectly so that there were no suspicious looking bumps or bulges. I did a full turn in front of the mirror, checking and rechecking, making sure that not one feather was visible. After I was satisfied, I gave myself one last look before heading downstairs.

I made myself a simple breakfast of two pieces of buttered toast. I had yet to see if I had any culinary skills, so I was sticking to simple sandwiches and take-out.

I checked the clock on the wall and saw that I should probably leave if I wanted to avoid being ogled at for being new and late.

I had been forewarned by Charlie that my sudden appearance was certain to be _the_ topic of gossip around the town for a while. He assured me that it would die down after a while so I wasn't too concerned. I could take a few days of staring. Being examined and monitored night and day for most of life has kind of made me immune to that sort of thing.

I grabbed my raincoat off the hook by the door as well as a set of keys. Charlie had made a copy of the house key as well as the key to his truck. It was a monster of a machine. It was a faded orange color and bulbous in shape and size. I had come to actually like it, even affectionately naming it "the thing", much to Charlie's amusement. He gave me permission to use it, seeing as he never needed to because he had his cruiser.

My driver's license was also something I had acquired this past week. It turns out that I could actually drive pretty well. Charlie had somehow made it possible for me to get my license without having to get a learner's permit first. I think I had something equal to a hardship license. I wasn't exactly sure but it didn't really matter. I could drive, on my own, legally. That was enough for me.

I pulled my new school bag over one shoulder and exited the house, locking it behind me. I climbed into the cab of the truck and turned the key into the ignition. The beast roared to life, literally.

The drive to school was short and soon enough I was pulling into the parking lot. It didn't look much like your average school, more like a cluster similar looking buildings. I parked in the nearly empty lot and turned off the truck.

I hopped out, grabbing my bag, and made my way toward the building marked "_Main Office_." A rush of warm air hit me as I opened the door. I glanced around, noticing the multiple plants that had been scattered around the space. _Isn't it green enough already?_ I thought sarcastically.

I walked toward to who I assumed was the secretary. She had on a purple shirt and a nametag that identified her as Ms. Cope. She glanced up from her cluttered desk as I approached her. "May I help you, dear?"

"Yes, please. I'm Bella Swan, the new student," I told her, trying to smile. Her eyes went wide and I'm pretty sure her mouth opened slightly. I guess Charlie wasn't lying.

She simply stared at me for a few moments until I continued hesitantly. "I think I'm supposed to take some sort of test, so that they can tell which classes I should be placed in," I said, trying to get a response of some kind.

Since I didn't know what grade I should be put in, or if my knowledge was up to par with other kids my age, Charlie had suggested that I should take some sort of exam. They could use the results from that to determine where I should go.

"Oh! Yes… umm…" She unfroze and stopped staring. She started shuffling through the stacks of papers on her desk. After a few minutes of searching, she found the one she was looking for. She stood up and gestured for me to follow her, eyes still wide. She led me to an empty room that resembled some kind of office. I sat down in the chair in front of the desk and dropped my bag on the floor. She mumbled something about going to get someone before exiting the room.

She returned a few minutes later with a stern looking man. He just looked at me for a minute, taking in my appearance, before smirking and making his way to the chair behind the desk. He began looking through the drawers, completely ignoring me. I gave Ms. Cope a look that was half confused and half irritated.

"Bella, this is the principal, Mr. Crawford," she informed me. I glanced back at him to see him still ignoring my presence completely. I turned back raising my eyebrows slightly. She covered her giggle with a cough before mumbling something along the lines of 'good luck' and leaving.

I turned around to sit forward in my seat to find Mr. Crawford staring at me, with that mocking look still on his face. It was a little creepy.

"You will be taking two sets of tests," he said, looking away from me. "One will focus on math and English. The other will be on science and history. You can have a short break in between the tests, but, other than that, you are not allowed to leave this room." He handed me two separate folders. He stood up from his desk and walked back towards the door. He stopped with his handle on the door and turned to give me one last look.

"The questions are quite hard." He spoke condescendingly, which only caused my dislike for him to rise. "Don't be upset if you fail to finish them all in the designated time." With that, he opened the door and sauntered out, slamming it behind him.

I simply rolled my eyes and focused my attention on the papers in front of me.

*

*

*

They had given me until lunch to finish the exams. I had them done within an hour and a half. I gone over my answers multiple times, looking for any errors or mistakes, but I could find none. I hadn't found the questions difficult at all. They had probably given me the wrong test.

I opened the door quietly, hoping not to capture the attention of a certain principal. One of the other secretaries looked up at the sound of the door. "Did you need help with something?" she asked sweetly, smiling at me.

"No, I'm finished," I told her quietly.

She looked confused for a moment. "Those are supposed to take nearly four hours to complete," she argued.

I could only shrug at her. She came over to me holding her hands out for the papers. I handed them to her and stood there awkwardly while she scanned through them. Her eyes were widening, in shock I think, as she continued to read through them. She walked off suddenly, not saying a word.

Not knowing what else to do, I re-entered the room I had been in and sat down.

About twenty minutes later, the door slammed open, causing me to jump. I whipped my head around and was met with a flustered looking Mr. Crawford. He looked at me sharply and spoke in an irritated voice, but I could detect the shock in there too. "How did you answer all the questions in that short amount of time?"

"I don't know." It was the truest answer I could give him. It was quiet for a few minutes before the silence became all too much. "How did I do?" I asked.

Wordlessly, he handed me the papers. I looked at the front page in the top right corner where the grade was and gasped.

It appeared like I had been experimented on more than I thought.

I hadn't missed a single question.

*

*

*

Half an hour later and I was on my way to third period.

After convincing them that I had never seen the tests beforehand, they finally believed that my score was real. According to their records I was one of only about ten students who had accomplished this. Oddly enough, five of the ten were currently attending the school not including me.

I felt a little comfort in the fact that I wasn't the only weird one here.

Unfortunately, this caused a bit of trouble for the decision of which classes I should be taking. Apparently, there weren't exactly a wide variety of advanced courses available here. I felt kind of bad for them, but I couldn't help but be a little pleased to see that stupid smirk wiped off Mr. Crawford's face.

I told them that they could just put me in classes that other kids my age were in. It wouldn't do me any good to be in older classes if I already knew what was being taught. I would rather be with people in my own grade.

I wasn't concerned about getting an education in the first place, so finding out that I already knew what was being taught just made the whole thing more unnecessary in my opinion. But I wasn't going to cause any more trouble for Charlie, so I decided to just go along with it for now.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. I made to my third period classroom about halfway through the class. When I opened the door, every head turned in my direction and the teacher stopped right in the middle of his lecture.

_Nice, Bella. Way to _not_ draw attention to yourself._

Thankfully, he didn't make me introduce myself. He signed my sheet and told me to take the empty desk at the back of the room. Then he continued talking like the interruption had never occurred.

Fourth period went pretty smoothly also. I even met someone. Not by my choice, but I learned early on that it was impossible to stop Miss Jessica Stanley once she started talking. After she introduced herself, she proceeded to tell me every bit of gossip that had spread around the halls of Forks High for the past two and a half years. I found her quite entertaining to watch. I was impressed with her ability to talk non-stop for minutes at a time without taking a breath. Actually, she sort of reminded me of…

"Bella?"

I turned my head back around to find a pair of blue eyes staring at me, waiting for a response. "Sorry, what?"

"I just asked if you wanted to eat lunch with me," Jessica repeated for me.

_Should I or shouldn't I?_ Well, it would be nice to be alone for an hour. It would give me a break form the constant noise. But I didn't want to be a complete loner. I figured I would be less conspicuous if I just went with the crowd anyway. With that in mind I answered her. "Sure."

She beamed at me just as the bell rang. We gathered our stuff together and headed off toward the cafeteria.

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**AN: So... what do you think? :]**


	5. First Sight

**AN: nothing to say really except sorry for the late upload. enjoy the chapter!

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**Chapter 4:**  
_**First Sight**_

Jessica had another ability. Along with being able to go a significant amount of time without breathing while she talked, she could also prattle on endlessly about nothing. Our walk to the lunchroom was filled with a constant stream of chattering that had no purpose except to fill the silence. I found it interesting and quite amusing to watch her carry on a conversation in which I took very little part in.

When we entered the cafeteria, nearly every head turned in our direction and the volume level dropped a few notches. I suddenly found it quite difficult to block out the barrage of thoughts that filled my head.

_Hey, look. The new girl…_

_Isabella Swan…_

_I wonder if she'll sit with me…_

_She's pretty hot…_

I couldn't help but chuckle at that one as I finally got control over my head, successfully blocking them out again.

We made our way over to the line of kids waiting for food. I watched as Jessica picked up only a small salad and a bottle of lemonade. I copied her actions but got water instead. I knew this small amount would not even come close to filling me up, but I couldn't exactly eat an obscene quantity of food without being gawked at so I decided I would wait until I got home to stuff my face. Sometimes my high metabolism was more of a hindrance than help.

The two of us sat down at an empty table in the middle of the room. Before we had even settled down the previously empty chairs had been filled with eager-looking teenagers.

I lost track of conversation after everyone was introduced so I let my eyes wander around the cafeteria. The simplicity of the way everyone talked and laughed with each other was nice to watch.

A movement outside caught my attention. I turned my head in time to see a flash of blonde hair before the person disappeared from the window. The doors directly to the left of said window opened and a boy and girl walked in.

I nearly had a heart attack.

The terms "boy" and "girl" were loose definitions because the two people looked as if they should be in college rather than high school. The boy was massive, muscles bulging everywhere. Dark slightly curly hair cut close to his head only added to his intimidating image. The girl was tall, not nearly as tall as her partner, but still much taller than I was. She had that perfect figure that every girl tried to obtain but never succeeded in doing. Add in her long wavy blonde hair and she just about redefined the word beautiful.

Following them through the doors was another couple. The next boy was slightly shorter than the first and much smaller in terms of size but I could still see some muscle definition. He had wavy honey blonde hair that curled around his ears and fell into his eyes. The girl whose hand he was holding could be compared to your typical description of a fairy. She was tiny in every sense of the word. She barely reached the blonde boy's chest and she was thin to the extreme. Her short black hair completed her pixie-like appearance.

The last boy to walk in was alone. He was lankier than the other males and seemed to be about the same height as the blonde boy. His head was topped with thick unruly bronze-colored hair.

All of them were dressed in normal enough clothes, but with my enhanced eyesight, I could see quite a few designer labels.

None of these things, however, were the reason I was having a mild panic attack inside the confines of my head.

It seemed like the universe decided it really did want to screw with me.

My eyes were glued to the five reasons I felt like bolting from that room.

They were now sitting together in the corner of the cafeteria, surrounded by other empty tables. It seemed like the other students avoided them without out even realizing why they were.

Although none of them looked similar in any way, they had a few things in common. For one thing, they were abnormally pale. And I mean _really_ pale. Even more so than me, the one who had only been reintroduced to the sun quite recently.

All of them had gorgeous features. Their faces were inhumanly beautiful, marred only by the purplish bruises under their eyes.

_Their eyes…_

That was the part that frightened me the most. The deep black color stood out from their skin tones, making them seem even more pronounced.

Jessica had apparently picked up on my ignorance of the conversation at our table because she chose that moment to see where I was staring. "What are looking at, Bella?" she questioned, turning head in the direction where my eyes were focused. Just as her gaze fell on them, the bronze-haired boy turned his head towards us. His eyes passed over Jessica briefly before they met mine.

I shook my head roughly, and made myself focus on my have eaten salad in front of me. I barely noticed my tightly closed fists until the pain registered. I opened my right hand slowly to find the remnants of what must have been my fork. I subtly dropped the crumpled pieces of metal at my feet and kicked them away.

After I had calmed myself down enough to be sure that I wasn't going to break anything else, I turned my attention back to Jessica who was giggling quietly and trying to take sneaky glances over her shoulder.

"I see you noticed them," she remarked as she took another glance into the far corner of the cafeteria.

"Who are they?" I asked her, digging for more information.

Her eyes met mine and a conspirative grin spread across her face. I knew I was about to be subjected to some huge gossip. "Those are the Cullens and the Hales."

_Cullen…_ The name. _I know I've heard that before… _

She took another peek behind her. I was surprised she hadn't hurt her neck yet with all the constant looks. "They moved down here from Alaska a few years ago."

Another girl had picked up on our conversation, Angela, I think. "They kind of keep to themselves," she remarked quietly.

Jessica continued on, "Yeah, 'cause they're all together. Like, _together _together." I raised my eyebrows, playing the part of a confused newcomer. Angela gave her a disapproving look, which she promptly ignored. "They're all adopted," she continued. "There's Emmett and Rosalie, the big one and the blonde girl, and then Alice and Jasper, the dark-haired girl and the blonde boy."

"What about the other boy?" I asked. "There are five of them."

"Oh, yeah." She sighed dreamily, her eyes becoming slightly unfocused. "That's Edward. He's gorgeous," she gushed, still in dreamland. Then her brow furrowed and a look of irritation crossed her face. "But apparently nobody here is good enough for him," she huffed sending an irritated glance over her shoulder. Angela covered her mouth to hide her smile.

I probably would have laughed had the situation been any different. I stood up and excused myself from the table, saying that I had forgotten something in my truck. As I walked out of the lunchroom, I forced myself not to glance at the table where the Cullens were sitting. When I reached the hallway and was out of sight, I nearly sprinted to the closest bathroom. I closed the door behind me and locked it. I dropped my bags to the floor and approached the row of sinks. The cold water helped me calm down as I splashed my face. Grabbing a few paper towels, I patted my face dry and stared at my reflection in the mirror above the faucets.

_Well, this changes things a bit…_

Understatement of the century. I contemplated leaving, just disappearing and going somewhere else. But that wouldn't work because of Charlie. I was almost certain that he would file some kind of missing persons report and that wouldn't exactly end well.

For now, it looked like I would just have to stick it out, pretend that everything was normal.

Well, as normal as you can when you have a mutant bird kid and a group of vampires.

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**AN: Most of the questions i got might ruin the story or i just haven't decided yet. so sorry if they weren't answered. reviews anyone? **


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